Multiresidual Analysis of Organochlorine Pesticides, Polychlorinated Biphenyls and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Marine Shellfishes by Gas Chromatography-Ion Trap Mass Spectrometry

Abstract

A gas chromatography /ion trap mass spectrometry (GC-ITMS) method with purification-separation by gel permeation chromatography (GPC) and aluminosilicate column techniques was developed for the quantification and identification of 20 organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), 28 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and 16 PAHs compounds in marine shellfishes. The GPC elution time for the target chemicals and elution volumes for the two continual eluting solvents from aluminosilicate column were tested and discussed. The optimal experimental conditions, 1140–1740 seconds for GPC collection time, 40 ml pentane and 50 ml pentane/dichlomethane (1:1) for elution volumes, were determined. Under these conditions, PCBs were eluted with pentane; PAHs and most of the organochlorine pesticides were eluted with pentane/dichlomethane (1:1) to avoid the interference of organochlorine pesticides for the analysis of PCBs. The results showed that the detection limits of the method were 0.01–0.14 for PCBs, 0.02–0.17 for OC pesticides, and 0.52–0.81 ng g –1 (wet weight) for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The recovery and RSDs of two-level spiked samples were in the ranges of 84.1%–120.2% and 5.6%–15.9% for PCBs, 62.3%–123.1% and 8.7%–20.5% for PAHs, and 77.3%–127.5% and 3.1%–18.7% for OC pesticides, respectively. In this method, three groups of organic compounds from different shellfishes were simultaneously cleaned up and separated. This method is highly effective to reduce the cost and time for the pretreatment of sample and can be applied for actual organic pollutants monitoring in shellfishes under marine environment.